Lieutenant William James Fisher, Civil War Soldier

Col. W. Hemphill Jones, Chief Clerk, Comptroller’s Office.

Dear Col.

No returns of the casualties in the 10th Infantry during the late battles before Richmond, Va. have been received at this office of the Adjutant General of this Army. They are looked for daily.

I, this day, wrote to D. Carle, desiring him to make inquiries for Lt Wm. J. Fisher, 10th Infantry and ascertain whether he is injured or sick in hospital, Etc., etc., as his father has not heard from him since the battles.

Yours truly

I. C. Woodruff, Major, 2nd Infantry, July 17, 1862.

My Dear Father:

Since our little brush with the Rebs, I have written to you twice and have been expecting a letter every day in answer.

Yesterday Lieut. G. Luff came over to see if I was in the land of the living or in Richmond. He said his father (I made a mistake, it was Col. Jones that was acquainted with you, and Major Woodruff lived next door) was well acquainted with you and that you had written a letter to him requesting him to inquire if I was alive.

I just this moment received a copy of the Peninsular News in which I see you have allowed a letter from me to be published. I never felt in my life so much like a fool as when I read it in that abominable paper. Please for my sake never have another one published.

I received a letter from Uncle John’s boys in which they wrote that Mr. Witherbee had died and also that Wm. Frost had named a ship Caroline Ross near Seaford. Is it ex. Gov. Ross’s daughter? If it is, I suppose he will quit teaching school and do something else that is more or probably do nothing but loaf around the store of some Sesech and blow Sesech for the community.

Captain Layton came up late last night to see me and also to see if I have written home. He had received a letter from his father inquiring at your request about me.

Why don’t you write oftener? I think Sis might write every week at least.

Give my love to all. Your affectionate son, W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

I received a letter from you yesterday dated July 15th.

Since being in this camp, I think, this is the fifth or sixth letter that I have written to you. I see now where you address your letters; you omit the name or either the no. of my Regiment, which may be the cause of my not receiving your letters more regularly. Be sure to put in 10th Infantry, Sykes Brigade, Washington D. C. All the letters or papers that I have received lately have been addressed Lieut. W. J. Fisher, Sykes Brigade, Washington D. C. Send more of those papers and be sure to give them the proper directions about the Regiment to which I belong I think we will be in this camp for two months yet or at least until we get reinforcements.

My health, since being in this camp, has been very good and I don’t think I ever felt better than I do at the present time.

We are to be reviewed tomorrow by General McClellan.

I don’t know of anything else to write at present. Please write soon. My love to all including Dick and Tom

Your affectionate son, W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

I received yours of 24th June last night.

Our camp is in sight of the James River boarding on a stream of water called Herring Creek. The creek has a bank lined with beautiful oak and maple trees. When we pitch our tents the first thing to do is to build a large boarder in front for shade.

We will probably make a move in a few days but where I can’t say. When we move we will not be allowed to carry any tents or cot beds. I don’t think any other Division with the exception of ours have received any such orders and I’m inclined to think that we are to be sent up the River or somewhere else to try and take some fort or battery that the Reb’s have planted to annoy our transports.

I got half dozen peaches today the first I’ve seen this year and an apple or pear I haven’t seen.

I am at present commanding a company of the 2nd Infantry which will be here after or, that is as long as I’m in command I am entitled to ten dollars per month in addition to my present pay.

Capt. Layton is with his Regiment encamped about one hundred yards from us.

Did you buy the postage on Peninsular News? There had been an order from the Post Office Department requiring all postage on papers for the army to be paid.

I suppose you have plenty of apples and peaches now.

I should like to be home a few days to enjoy the fruit as well as a little quiet.

I have nothing else to write at present so I’ll close.

Direct as before. My love to all.

Your son, W. J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

Since I last wrote we have been retreating almost constantly. On the 14th of August we commenced to evacuate Harrison’s Landing. We marched to New Port News, a distance of eighty miles, in four days. We were started every morning at about 3 ½ o’clock. We were at New Port News two days in which time I took three baths in Hampton Roads. After staying two days we embarked on the Steamer Montréal for Aquia Creek. We arrived next day about 10 o’clock and immediately landed and left for Fredericksburg on the cars. We were encamped on a hill about 1 ½ miles from the town but it appeared to be not over half mile. It is one of the most beautiful little places that I have ever seen. After being in camp for a day or two we were ordered to Warrington, VA but after we had marched for a few miles and turned and marched back half mile and lay on our arms another night next day we marched to some Junction on the road where General Hooker had had a fight the day before we saw dead Rebels scattered about over the field. Here the Rebels burned three bridges and two trains at least a quarter of a mile long and each loaded with ammunition, Army wagons, and enough bread and salt pork to subsist an army of twenty thousand men for 30 days. (So I was told by a man who I had good cause to think knew).

The next day we moved on as far as Manassas Junction where we joined five union trains which had burned. One of them had two batteries of artillery on it. Besides all this, we had three very large trains, loaded with knapsacks, which we had to blow up; all because General Pope was out generaled for Jackson did it completely. We lay here all night.

Next morning we moved to Bull Run where we fought a battle with a result as Bull Run of 1861; at least as bad as, if not worse, for we were completely whipped, at least those of us that were put in. I’ll tell you the way the battle was fought in the morning.

The Rebels made a demonstration on our right and about 1 o’clock, another on our left. Pope immediately moved nearly all his troops from the center and put them on the right and left. About 4 o’clock p.m. a terrific attack was made on our center. Sykes’s Division was the first that was attacked, along with the 5th New York and 10th New York, Colonel Warren commanding, were entirely cut to pieces in about thirty minutes. They lost six hundred men. The Butterfield Brigade was sent in and repulsed there. The first Brigade of Sykes’s division was sent in and cut to pieces. After they retired it became our turn; 2nd Brigade under Colonel Chapman. We were repulsed. That was the way we were sent in, by little driblets, where we had thousands upon thousand that never fired a shot. Besides this there were batteries that were placed in position and ordered not to fire until further orders and of course when the enemy got too near, they had to retire without firing a shot. Such bungling as this was going on all day of all the troops that was there. I really don’t believe that more than twenty thousand were engaged in the fight and their first advance they took a battery of six pieces. We were fighting on one side of a large field while there were at least thirty thousand men on the other side of the field who stood looking on until we were entirely whipped out. It seems to me that I could have fought a battle better than Pope did this one. And I am confident that if McClelland had commanded us on that day, that we would have whipped them out.

It’s my opinion that Jackson can take ten thousand men and whip Pope with forty thousand and I tell you, I have no confidence in a man that is to have his “head quarters in the saddle” and having no line of retreat, and immediately get on his horse and commence retreating.

We had to retreat as far back as Centerville the same night of the battle.

I suppose you have heard a great deal of the property that McClellan lost on the Peninsular campaign but I am perfectly sure that Pope lost a million dollars worth of property where McClellan lost a thousand dollars worth. If McClellan don’t get command I’m going to try to get some other department for I don’t like to serve under a man who is not competent to command a Brigade.

You say they are drafting in Delaware. Are you liable to be drafted for I must confess that I don’t know how old you are? W. F. Callaway is, I’m sure, and I think W. F. is.

I came through the last two fights all right. I had a ball graze my neck, but it didn’t hurt me at all.

I think I shall go to Washington in a few days.

Give my love to all and write soon. Your son, W. J. F.

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My Dear Mother:

I received yours of the 30th ultimo, last night. I should have written home before last week but I was sick and could not write but I am almost well now.

A few nights ago the enemy set a couple of batteries up on the opposite side of the River and tried to shell us a lot but found us well prepared and after firing for about three hours and killing some ten or twelve men, left for a more congenial clime.

When I awoke this morning, I could hear heavy firing on our left which still continues at 8 o’clock. I understand it’s Hooker who attacked the enemy this morning and is driving them back for the cannonading is growing fainter every moment; which is a sure indication that the enemy are retreating. We have another skirmish and two or three Iron Clad Gun Boats lying into the River but I don’t think they will be able to escape or do as much damage.

I hope that General McClellan will receive reinforcements enough to be able to push on to Richmond before the fall. If he does not I think it will be evacuated rather than stand bombardment.

I am really getting very tired of this kind of life. Sometimes I think, that as soon as I can, I’ll resign and go to doing something else that will suit me better, but I suppose its all little fancies of my mind while being wishful.

I should like to go home a few days to see you all and also to get some fruit for I haven’t seen any kind of fruit with the exception of half eaten peaches which were brought from Washington. I suppose you have plenty of apples and pears.

I have nothing else to write at present.

Give my love to all the family

Please write soon. Your affectionate son. W .J. Fisher

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My Dear Father:

I haven’t received a letter from you since sometime in July and therefore have none to answer.

I received a letter from Will Callaway and also one from Alexander Fisher, both of which I have answered.

Every thing goes on quietly with us with the exception of a little brush now and then with the enemy just to show them that we are alive. General Hooker taught them a lesson the other day which, I suppose, they will not forget in a hurry, but you saw the account of it in a paper.

But, what I sat down to write about is this: I have a little plan in my mind which I think you will approve of. You know I owe you eighty dollars. Well, I have July’s pay due me yet and enough money to last me through August. As soon as I can, I will get a check for $80 and forward to you and after that I think I can manage to save enough every month at least to buy one share of stock in the Georgetown bank. I wish you would write me all about it and tell me what a share costs. What interest it pays and so on. I feel as though I ought to be laying up something. When this war is over, I may not want to stay in the Army, or maybe the army will be ordered to its old standard. And in either case I might be discharged. I don’t say that I believe it, for I don’t. I wish you could write to me at once and tell me what you think of my plan. I could get a check for the amount every month and enclose it to you and you could do the business for me.

Please don’t show this to anybody, they might think that I was a fool, which I almost believe myself sometimes. Give my love to all and write soon. Your affectionate son, W. J. Fisher

N. B. I’ve been in the service one year since last Tuesday

W. J. Fisher

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I. M. Fisher, Esq.

I have been making inquires of your son Wm. And have just learned about him through Wm. Hemphill Jones, from C. Rodney Layton and am pleased to inform you he has come off so well.

Captain Draper was at my house yesterday. He is Captain of a Company in the 1st Delaware Regiment that left Camp Fisher last November, and, has had so much hard duty. Col. Redden was stripped of command, and, from his description of the late affair, I was afraid your son Wm was gone.

I send you Layton’s note. We are all well; do not think you trouble me. Yours truly etc. G. Luff

Your letter of the 10th just arrived and I am pleased to hear from you.

General Pope charges all his generals. They would not obey his commands. He brings heavy charges against them, and if true, he ought to have a drum headed Court Marshal for every one of them and shoot them on the field. But I will conclude it was bad contact with them all. Yours truly, G. L.

My Dear Father:

So far I’m all right. The principal reason of my not writing before was that I have been sick and another reason was that I have no chance since I last wrote.

We have had two fights, or rather one fight and a truce. Yesterday our Brigade was sent over the river but came upon the Rebel skirmishers. We had a skirmish in which we lost four men of 10th Infantry and then retired across the river.

I haven’t received a letter since leaving Washington.

I captured a nice little hunting rifle yesterday. If I live, and can have a chance, I would have it fixed up and will send it home to you to keep for me.

I am very well now. Write often. I don’t have a chance to write. I have got a poor chance to write.

Give my love to all. Your son W.J.F.

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My Dear Father:

Since leaving Halls Hill near Washington, I haven’t had but one chance to write and I didn’t take advantage of that because I was very unwell at the time.

The day after I wrote to you from Halls Hill, our Division was moved over the River to Tannelly Town, a little place about three miles from Georgetown, D. C. I, being sick, was put in an ambulance. Our ambulance, instead of following the Regt. Got mixed up in another train and I was carried to a Hospital near Alexandria. Of course I didn’t want to go in a Hospital so I got in anther ambulance and went into Alexandria. There I got on the boat and went across to Washington and went to Willard’s Hotel and was taken with a serious chill. I got a room and went to bed.

I staid in Washington until the next day. At 10 o’clock, I got a carriage and joined my Regt., which was then at Rockville, about twenty miles from the Capital. The day after I rejoined the Regt., which had moved for Frederick, which was at that time occupied by Rebels.

Frederick is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. It is about twice the size of Milford and the best of it is that nearly all the inhabitants are strong Union people. Well we staid here one night and next day moved to a South Mountain Pass where McClellan gave the Rebels one of the soundest whippings that they ever received.

When we passed, the road was completely filled with dead Rebels. Men and Officers were piled on one another lying in every way; some on their back, some on their faces. Some were lying on the fence (it was a stone fence) where they were shot while getting over. Old men of sixty and boys of twelve were piled on one another. I never saw such a sight in my life and I hope I may never see such a one again. Two days after, we met them again at Sharpsburg where they were completely [illegible] out and driven across the river. This is badly blotted but I am in a hurry and haven’t time to write another so please excuse it. What do you think of McClellan and what does that contemptible [illegible] think of him?

The man is all ready to start, so I must close.

I am well and please write soon. My love to all.

Your son, WJ Fisher

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